Stolen Bailey Hounds guitar recovered just in time for Kung Fu Necktie show tomorrow

We know Vince Federici, frontman and primary songwriter in The Bailey Hounds, to be a storytelling connoisseur of all things mysterious, mystical and macabre. So hopefully he forgives us if we’re taking the story he posted on his Tumblr today with a massive grain of salt – it’s the stuff of fiction, too good to be true. Then again, it’s also too good of a tale not to share.

The scene is last night at the band’s South Philly rehearsal space. Federici is loading gear in waves, making trips from his van to the indoors. Stepping outside after bringing in his pedal board and amp, he saw that his van’s dome light was on. And he realized – a passer-by had stolen his guitar. As he tells it:

Instant devastation set in. It was my own damn fault for not locking the door. The thief must have been watching me because it happened in a short frame of time. So I darted down the street, and the next, and the next hoping to see someone carrying the case. Slowly I began to lose hope. Then it set in that it was gone. I ran into a security guard close by and he told me to call 911. So I did and the police took a report.

Defeated, I walked around a little more, packed up my things and headed to a buddy’s house around the corner to calm down and have a drink of whiskey.

This was bad for a few reasons.

1.) I bought that guitar brand new and I was the only one who had played it. Since 09 when I bought it, every show and recording session I did had that guitar on it. I know that instrument.

2.) The Bailey Hounds have a big show on the 12th and 30th of this month and the morale for something like this is enough to spook anyone.

3.) We are also scheduled to do a new EP in November. I would have been rolling in handicapped.

Now I could say that this ends the story. I could be putting flyers up in the neighborhood, getting the Police the guitar serial numbers in case anyone tries to pawn it. We could all have a big old pity party. Yeeeeee-haaaw!

My phone rings. It was Chris from The Bailey Hounds.

You can read the thrilling conclusion, complete with chase scene and a bit of numerology, over at Federici’s blog. Is his account true to the letter? Did Federici take some liberties in the telling? We’re not sure, but if you buy him a congratulatory drink at the band’s Kung Fu Necktie show tomorrow, I’m sure he won’t mind. Just tell him to use his head and lock the dang van next time! Below, download “Dead and Gone” from the band’s Key Studio Session.